scholarly journals Formative assessment can be fun as well as educational

2006 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. N. Hudson ◽  
D. R. Bristow

An understanding of the hormonal basis of normal growth and development, including the changes occurring at puberty, is important foundation knowledge for contemporary medical practice in most fields of medicine. A quiz, testing the important physiological concepts of growth and puberty, was designed using the format of the well-known television game “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” An evaluation of this formative assessment activity revealed that a cohort of first-year undergraduate medical students valued learning with peers in an enjoyable, interactive environment, where they were able to admit to uncertainties and clarify answers. It also showed that making an educational activity fun need not detract from the focus of giving feedback on learning. Formative assessment, known to produce learning gains in a range of educational settings, is an important activity in contemporary medical education. With a greater emphasis on self-directed learning and less well-defined curriculum boundaries, feedback helps students to understand and apply the important physiological concepts that underpin the practice of medicine.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Līga Beļicka ◽  
◽  
Tatjana Bicjutko

The fast transition to fully online studies due to the pandemic made the universities around the world question many of their accepted notions on teaching foreign languages in general and English for Specific Purposes (ESP) methodology in particular. Putting stress on the synchronous remote teaching and learning has proven to yield a reductionist perspective missing asynchronicity, the dimension which makes reconsider the whole educational process. With its shift from the sole focus on learning terminology to training skills in authentic professional contexts, the task-based approach has long excelled in meeting the diverse needs of students. Thus, the research question is how well task-based teaching (TBT) solves the problems raised with asynchronous learning in a university ESP course. The research of available literature on TBT yielded the framework for constructing an extended task applicable in the advanced medical English. The case study with 120 first-year students of medicine organised around an informational interview with health professionals demonstrated easy adaptability of the task to the asynchronous nature of the educational process. Personal observations by the course instructor, summaries of student-conducted interviews, and student written feedback proved the responsiveness of the method to the learners’ needs and the potential of the approach in terms of motivation. The emphasis on self-directed learning, however, threatens the systematicity of the acquired language skills, as a more controlled teaching environment would not allow “skipping” any learning step. Additionally, TBT does not solve the problem of the voluminous teaching load.


2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 425-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan J Smith ◽  
Radhika R Kakarala ◽  
Siva K Talluri ◽  
Parul Sud ◽  
J Parboosingh

Abstract Objectives We implemented a curriculum using self-directed learning plans (SDLPs) based on clinical questions arising from the residents' practice, and we report on perceptions and attitudes from residents in internal medicine regarding the use of SDLPs conceived at point of care. Methods Internal medicine residents at a single community hospital in the Midwest were surveyed in 2006 regarding SDLPs. We report their perceived effectiveness in identifying knowledge gaps, the processes used to fill those gaps, and the resident outcomes using descriptive statistics. Results A total of 26 out of 37 residents (70%) responded. Most (24 of 26; 92%) perceived SDLPs helped them to identify and fill knowledge gaps and that their skills in framing questions (23 of 26; 88%), identifying resources (21 of 26; 81%), and critically appraising the evidence (20 of 26; 77%) improved through regular use. They also felt these plans led to a meaningful change in their practice or provided further direction for learning (17 of 26; 65%). Most (21 of 26; 81%) reported their intent to include point-of-care learning in their continuing education after residency. We found no significant differences in the responses of first-year compared with second- or third-year residents. Conclusions Questions arising during patient care are strong motivators for physician self-directed learning. The residents' responses indicated that they accepted the SDLPs and intend to use them in practice. Embedding the discussion of the SDLPs in preclinic conferences has ensured sustainability during the past 5 years and has enabled us to demonstrate teaching of practice-based learning and improvement.


Author(s):  
Muhamad Reza Utama ◽  
Deny Yuliawan ◽  
Yoyo Suhoyo ◽  
Widyandana Doni

Background: Facebook has been acknowledged as an alternative media in supporting traditional learning activities. However, its potential in enhancing students’ cognitive engagement on flipped-classroom’ activities is still not much known. This study aims to measure undergraduate medical students’ cognitive engagement changes after joining an ocular trauma flipped-classroom’ Facebook group.Methods: This pre-experimental study was involving 45 third-year undergraduate medical students of Muhammadiyah Surabaya' University who were joining the ocular trauma flipped-classroom' Facebook group. Three cognitive engagement variables were measured before students were joining the group and after the flipped-classroom’ face to face session ended. Finally, metrics data of the group members’ activities, which had been collected using Facebook Insight, used to shown changes between the active and passive user.Results: All users’ (n = 45) cognitive engagement were rising significantly after join the Facebook group (motivation, p = 0,000; self-directed learning readiness, p = 0,000; knowledge towards ocular trauma topic, p = 0,000). Increase in average active user knowledge was 11.09 points higher than passive users. Self-efficacy aspect of the students’ learning motivation and self-management aspects of the students’ self-directed learning readiness were the most increased sub-components.Conclusion: Facebook group has the potential to improve students’ cognitive engagement on ocular trauma’ flipped classroom.  


Author(s):  
Elizabeth DaMaren ◽  
Danielle Pearlston ◽  
Stephen Mattucci

Reimagined curriculum models offer new possibilities for embedding durable competencies into the curriculum, including critical reflection, which promotes the development of self-directed learning skills. However, students often perceive these skills as unimportant with pre-existing biases focusing on technical content as the core of engineering.  The primary goal of this work was to identify key considerations when integrating critical reflection into engineering curricula, specifically in the context of first-year engineering, to promote the development of student self-directed learning skills.  This work was framed within the Students-as-Partners (SaP) approach, where two undergraduate students worked in collaboration with the instructor. To gather information regarding student perceptions of critical reflection, focus groups were conducted for first-year engineering students and students familiar with reflection.  Qualitative thematic analysis was performed on the focus group data and key insights were identified and categorized into five themes: approaches, supporting students, evaluation and framing, development pathway and value, and reflection for engineers. Suggested learning outcomes, student activities, and evaluation methods are proposed. These findings are applicable to implementing reflection across a variety of academic settings, as they highlight main considerations and challenges faced with reflection from the perspective of students in multiple programs. 


Author(s):  
Matthew John Mears

Students often enter physics courses at higher education with a background experience of “spoon fed” learning yet academic staff expect students to engage in self-directed learning. The Revise, Do, Learn method presented here provides a first intermediary step between “spoon fed” and independent learning. A small to moderate positive effect (d = 0.38) was found between subsequent cohorts that, when considered with the minimal time and effort required to implement the method, provides an easy win for improving student learning.


Author(s):  
Elizabeth Kuley ◽  
Sean Maw ◽  
Terry Fonstad

This paper focuses on feedback received from a set of qualitative questions that were administered to undergraduate students in the College of Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan, as part of a larger mixed methods study. The larger study aims to identify what characteristics, if any, can predict or are related to student success; The “start-stop-continue” method was utilized to assess student perceptions about  their success in the college as a whole. The students were asked: Are there any specific things that you can think of that act/acted as barriers to your success in engineering (stop)? What could the college do/change to make first year more successful for engineering students (start)? Is there anything in your engineering degree so far that you feel is done well and helps students succeed (continue)? Students identified the quality of instruction early in their program as well as adjustment to college workloads and self-directed learning as the most significant barriers tostudent success.


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